Quality of Raspberry Pi4 USB For Streaming

[Ralph_Cramden]

Almost all of the WiiM streamers will do Roon, LMS, Chromecast endpoints and much more (Amazon Music with full voice control, e.g.). This seems, IMHO, a throwback to about 10 years ago.

 

[DrCWO]

Let me know if I've misunderstood (gently!)

Anything right with your statements

 

[DrCWO]

Personally I will stick to Roopiee which is free of charge and work flawlessly on my RPIs , don't see the need to spend 400 bucks to get the same level of performance.

Just to clarify that:
Ropiee has the same performance on a Raspberry Pi as rooExtend.

Using it as streamer ONLY the rooExtend SD-Card image is also for free. So you can use whatever image you like with the same result.
Only my Roon Extensions that are not offered by Roopiee ask for a License Key.

 

[Vreek Fonq]

My setup consists of NAS with music files --> HQplayer embedded on rpi5 --> Signalyst NAA Deamon on Dietpi+Allo gui Digione Signature SPDIF output (shanti powered) --> Tpiing D70 Octo --> Balanced --> Neurochrome Anniversary Edition Modulus-86 (--> Fostex 208sigma BLH). Where software-wise the HQplayer embedded was the bulk of software cost. But so worth it.

 

[Lambda]

So it looks like Bits are bits and the DAC dose not care what device is sending the bits.

Therefore it would make more sense to check if the device is sending the right bits?

 

[Mnyb]

Used rpi as LMS endpoints for years , great solution.

discovered already with the old squeezebox hardware that they where exactly as good as my MeridianG98DH on supported formats like redbook or 2ch 24/96. Used the Squeezebox Touch for a long time

Heck even an old SB3 will do if you can slum it at 24/48

Then i used raspberry pi’s .

Have some old HAT dac’s and digital out HAT in box somewhere, just great

 

[charlielaub]

I have posted before about my disdain for the "streamer" hi-fi audio component. What is it, really? It is just a fancy box that is used to access internet resources that typically just send you audio. Because it is part of the consumer audio genre, it must be only so large and therefore has a tiny display. Let' say you could make this display larger, much larger, so that you could see everything clearly and have more info displayed. And also let's say that you could stream audio from any and all internet sources, not just a couple of commercial ones that the manufacturer allows. And who likes using those small remote controls to enter information? Not me. It's like try to text on an old-school flip phone! Let's give it a full-size keyboard and while we are at it how about some USB ports so that you could plug in a USB stick and play back files, too. By now you may have guessed it.. we are using a LAPTOP (or even a mini PC desktop) computer! It can be cheap, because you just do not need much computing power to stream audio from the internet. As @amirm has shown the audio quality is 100% a result of whatever DAC or audio interface you are using to do the D to A conversion of your playback and not the computer. So get a cheap laptop and get a very good DAC (they are not expensive these days, mind you) and you will be able to enjoy the peak of audiophile quality streaming AND whatever else you might need a light duty laptop to do.

 

[Mnyb]

The streamer actually makes sense in a context of networked audio .

Have server in a closet serve music to all rooms in your house even synchronised at times controlled by an app on your pad or phone.

If your living alone in one room you can just use your computer or phone directly .

Also i have a stationary computer it wont lug that around.

You can also setup things like volumio to read from an atached hardrive again controlled by a phone or tablet?

It was never intended as some kind of soundqality enhancement?? Then tou got i wrong

 

[Mnyb]

Btw my current lms server is a raspi with 60k files on an SSD usb drive big as mu thumb agian controlled by my phone.

My roon server is an intel NUC with SSD drives ?

There are perfectly valid use cases

 

[LtMandella]

As someone who has been using Raspberry Pi’s to stream for a number of years (5?), I’m happy to see this review, but spending over $400 to do this is nuts. I use a PiZero 2W running Volumio for around $50.

Post in thread 'Do network streamers need to be expensive?'
https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...amers-need-to-be-expensive.43092/post-1525710

The first time I played QUBOZ streamed with an RPI3 I was damn happy! Wow, great streamer for dirt cheap! I used open source LMS - which was kind of pain to setup and a pain to keep running as the services change their APIs.
But dern, it sounds great with a USB DAC or a DAC hat.

And by the way, open up a Multi-Thousand dollar BRYSTON streamer and guess what is inside. An RPI!!

 

[Phorize]

I'm reading this as measurements of an rpi4 rather than a review of the rooextend device, and the review confirms what we knew already, which is that more or less any old computer can stream over usb quite competently. I've been using a pi 4 with moode for years and it's all I need. I wish Dr CWO the best of luck in selling these as I'm sure it's a good solution for some.

 

[Phorize]

Moode or Volumio are also free ways to turn a RPi into a high quality streamer at low cost

They cost money to develop, so it help to see moode at least as free as in speech software which can be used without paying but one really ought to give something.

 

[ahofer]

Sure, but rooExtend offers all my Roon Extensions. If you don't use them you also can go the ROPIEE way.

Yes, I keep meaning to try your RME volume control.

 

[formdissolve]

Yes, I keep meaning to try your RME volume control.

I don't have a use for any of these, but the fact that they exist is awesome. That RME control is tempting.. but I just use the remote and control the volume directly on mine.

 

[McSticky]

I setup a PiCorePlayer on a raspberry Pi 4. The software is free and you can access it via an IP address with any computer or phone and run a streaming service. It supports Qobuz and some other streaming services through LMS. It is supposed to be bitperfect transfer by USB to a DAC. I think it cost me about $50 dollars to setup. Would the sound quality from a PiCorePlayer be expected to be as good as the ROOExtend?

 

[Apesbrain]

Would the sound quality from a PiCorePlayer be expected to be as good as the ROOExtend?

There would be no difference.

 

[Berwhale]

I setup a PiCorePlayer on a raspberry Pi 4. The software is free and you can access it via an IP address with any computer or phone and run a streaming service. It supports Qobuz and some other streaming services through LMS. It is supposed to be bitperfect transfer by USB to a DAC. I think it cost me about $50 dollars to setup. Would the sound quality from a PiCorePlayer be expected to be as good as the ROOExtend?

You could add a nice screen to that setup... https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hscreen-pi-based-picoreplayer-streamer.42228/

 

[McSticky]

You could add a nice screen to that setup... https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...hscreen-pi-based-picoreplayer-streamer.42228/

I connect with my laptop computer to the PiCorePlayer wirelessly and use the computer to navigate Qobuz and control playback. I have seen the screen setups but i would need to get the correct header attachment for the picoreplayer. I kinda like sitting on my couch and not having to get up to touch the screen to change music.

 

[McSticky]

There would be no difference.

Do you think the ROOExtend is just a PiCorePlayer? I know people combine the Roon service with the PiCorePlayer to control playback.

 

[dcolak]

WIIM Mini for the win!